Plott

About Plott

Plott Inc. is an entertainment startup that specializes in the planning, production, and business development of Intellectual Property (IP) content, primarily focusing on short-form animation for platforms like YouTube and TikTok, as well as webtoons. The company's business model is centered on creating and nurturing original and partner IPs, then expanding their reach through a comprehensive media mix that includes merchandise, games, music, and comics. The company generates revenue through these multi-faceted business expansions and has a track record of over 100 corporate promotions. Founded in August 2017 by Shota Okuno, the company originated from his passion for entertainment. Okuno started the company while he was a student at the University of Tsukuba. The company's predecessor, "Fabo," initially explored various ventures, including the game industry and VTuber projects, before pivoting to YouTube animation. This strategic shift was inspired by the rise of manga-style video content and a desire to create smartphone-first anime. The turning point came in January 2019 with the launch of the YouTube channel "Teikou Penguin," which grew to 300,000 subscribers in six months. Following this success, the company secured 50 million yen in funding in August 2019 and rebranded to Plott Inc., a name derived from the literary term "plot." Plott has since launched several successful channels, including "Kekkai Korekore," "Zenryoku Kaihi Flag-chan!," and "Black Channel" in collaboration with Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic. By 2023, its channels had amassed a cumulative total of over 7 million subscribers and 300 million monthly views. As of early 2024, these numbers had grown to a total of 12 million subscribers and 15 billion cumulative views. Plott operates through three main business divisions: a short-form animation business, a webtoon business, and an IP development business. In April 2022, Plott integrated with BUZZCAST, a company specializing in video marketing, to combine Plott's content creation strengths with BUZZCAST's marketing expertise. This move aimed to accelerate the creation of new hit content. The company has also established a game studio, "Plott Games," and a music label, "Plott Music," to further its media mix strategy. In November 2024, Plott announced it had raised approximately 1 billion yen in a Series B funding round to bolster its entry into new business areas like licensing, games, and music.